Shepherds bush

Antarctica contains more than half of the world's freshwater in its sprawling, frozen ice sheet, but humanity's decisions over the next century could send that water irreversibly into the sea. If global warming is allowed to continue unchecked, Antarctica will soon pass a "point of no return" that could reduce the continent to a barren, ice-free mass for the first time in more than 30 million years, according to a new study published Sep. 23 in the journal Nature . "Antarctica is basically our ultimate heritage from an earlier time in Earth's history. It's been around for roughly 34 million years," study co-author Anders Levermann, a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany, said in a statement . "Now our simulations show that once it's melted, it does not regrow to its initial state [until] temperatures go back to pre-industrial levels … a highly unlikely scenario. In other words: What we lose of Antarctica now, is lost … [Read more...] about Antarctica could melt ‘irreversibly’ due to climate change, study warns

By Paul Voosen Jan. 5, 2018 , 11:30 AM NASA’s earth science division should create a new, medium-size $350 million mission line that is open to competition, according to a new report out today from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) that lays out the agency’s earth science priorities in a so-called decadal survey, a consensus wish list for U.S. earth scientists. In addition to the call for the new mission line, the report recommends that five larger flagship missions be launched in the coming decade. Over the past decade, thanks to an infusion of climate-focused spending from the administration of former President Barack Obama, NASA’s budget for satellite-based observation of Earth grew to $1.9 billion last year, the largest of NASA’s four science divisions. "We’re not at the bottom of some pit like we were before," says Bill Gail, chief technology officer at the Global Weather Corporation in Boulder, Colorado, and co-chair of the committee … [Read more...] about NASA should create a new $350 million earth science program, National Academies advise

1. David Guttenfelder ( @dguttenfelder ) David Guttenfelder , an Associated Press photographer and seven-time World Press Photo award winner, was just named TIME 's Instagram photographer of the year. In 2013, on assignment for the AP , Guttenfelder traveled to North Korea , where his Instagram photography offered a rare glimpse into the inner life of a nation normally obscured from public view. He has also photographed the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines as well as quaint pastoral scenes from rural America. In this photograph, Guttenfelder captures a group of North Korean seamstresses at the Sonbong Textile Factory inside the Rason Special Economic Zone. "Nobody knows anything about [North Korea] and what it looks like," Guttenfelder told TIME of his tenure. "I feel like there's a big opportunity and a big responsibility." Image: @dguttenfelder on Instagram 2. Phil Moore ( @philmoorephoto ) Phil Moore is a freelance … [Read more...] about 14 Instagram Photojournalists Who Will Open Your Eyes to the World

At 11:35 p.m. ET Sunday, the White House's Twitter feed posted a quote from President Barack Obama that confirmed Osama bin Laden's death . But before Obama uttered those words, Twitter was abuzz with speculation and subsequent confirmation from officials and news outlets. Click through this gallery for a chronological look (starting with slide two) at how things transpired on Twitter. White House The White House tweeted this at 11:35 p.m. ET. shortly after President Barack Obama spoke the words during a live statement. Dan Pfeiffer Dan Pfeiffer, communications director for the White House, tweeted this at 9:47 p.m. ET. Keith Urbahn Keith Urbahn, chief of staff for Office of Donald Rumsfeld, tweeted this at 10:24 p.m. ET. Jill Jackson Jill Jackson, a CBS News Capitol Hill producer, tweeted this at 10:32 p.m. ET. Fox News Fox News tweeted this at 10:41 p.m. ET. Barack Obama President Barack Obama tweeted this at … [Read more...] about Timeline: How News of Osama Bin Laden’s Death Unfolded on Twitter

Nineteen Republican lawmakers are trying to eliminate subsidies that help poor people purchase cell phone service and broadband. The legislation filed on Friday targets Lifeline, which is a Universal Service Fund program paid for by surcharges on phone bills. If the bill passes, low-income Americans would no longer be able to use $9.25 monthly subsidies toward cellular phone service or mobile broadband. The subsidies would still be available for landline phone service. Further Reading FCC to halt expansion of broadband subsidies for poor people "Hardworking American taxpayers are already overburdened and should not be forced to pay for a program that has vastly expanded beyond its intended scope and is riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse," US Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said in an announcement of his legislation. "My bill will reform the Lifeline Program and restore it to its original purpose of providing landline services and prohibit Universal Service support for … [Read more...] about Republicans try to take cheap phones and broadband away from poor people